When will the GATE 2026 Mechanical Engineering exam take place?

No, the GATE 2026 question paper has not been released. The expected release date is last week of February 2026.

The difficulty level of GATE question paper changes every year, as different IITs and IISc Bangalore conduct the competitive exam on rotational basis. However, based on the last past 5 to 10 years of GATE paper review, the difficulty level usually remains moderate to tough mostly.

There is no one IIT that is consistent with GATE question paper difficulty level. However, based on students and subject experts, it is observed that IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore has a record of setting the toughest GATE question paper so far. Apart from that, IIT Kanpur is also known for setting d

GATE counselling 2026 will be conducted by COAP and CCMT, which will be done by respective IITs and IISc on rotational basis. 

• Through COAP, students will be offered admission to IITs
• Through CCMT, students will be offered admission to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

Securing 25 marks in GATE is just reaching the qualifying cutoff. For SC/ST or PwD applicants, 25 marks can be average and safe for securing good GFTIs. However, targeting core branches can be impossible.

In addition, 25 marks in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering can give different results,